The present invention is directed to a fishing pole harness/chair support apparatus configured for connecting a fishing pole to a user/chair for supporting and controlling the fishing pole.
When fishing for large game fish such as blue marlin, black marlin, bluefin tuna and the like, it is customary for the fisherman to sit in a so-called fishing chair mounted on the aft deck of a power boat. The conventional fishing chair has an upstanding back rest and a seat both of which are mounted to pivot about an upright axis on a pedestal mounted to the boat deck. A foot rest extends outwardly from the seat portion of the chair to enable the fisherman to brace himself while landing a fish. A rod holder is mounted to the front of the chair for receiving the butt end of a fishing rod between the fisherman""s legs. The rod holder is designed to pivot about a horizontal axis so that the fisherman may work the rod and reel back and forth while reeling in a fish.
Customarily, the fisherman sits in a bucket-type harness which is attached to the reel, and he usually uses his left hand to pump the rod. A lubricant such as a soap solution is squirted on the chair seat to enable the fisherman and his bucket-type harness to slide on the fishing chair; however, this is unsatisfactory for the following reasons: (1) It requires the aid of an assistant to supply lubricant; (2) It creates an unsafe condition if lubricant works off the edge of the seat and spills onto the deck; (3) Due to variation in the amount of friction between the bucket harness and the seat, a smooth back and forth motion is often lost; and (4) The bucket-type harness often works off the buttocks of the fisherman and moves up his back.
Landing one of the aforementioned game fish species is a strenuous and time-consuming endeavor. Depending upon the size of the fish, it is not uncommon for even a muscular fisherman to spend 4 to 8 hours in landing the fish. Customarily, the fisherman employs his arms, shoulders and back muscles to pivot the rod rearwardly into an upright position, and while lowering the rod, he reels rapidly to maintain tension on the line while simultaneously shortening it. This procedure is effective; however, it has a tendency to overstress certain of the body muscles and to induce fatigue. The typical fighting chair, when used with a bucket harness, does not allow for a cushion seat and therefore often causes early fatigue, muscle cramps and buttocks and leg sleep and/or numbness. A fishing chair which enables a fisherman to shorten the time required to land a game fish and/or to land a game fish with less muscle strain is highly desirable.
An auxiliary seat assembly for a sport fishing chair is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,676 issued on May 2, 1978 to Arruza, which patent is hereby expressly incorporated by reference. The Arruza patent is an improvement over using a soap solution as a lubricant between the seat harness and the seat of the fishing chair. However, there are several disadvantages to using the auxiliary seat assembly of Arruza.
First, Arruza shows the auxiliary seat assembly attached to the fishing chair using screws or bolts. The use of screws or bolts is undesirable because the holes in the fishing chair ruin the appearance of the fishing chair when the auxiliary seat assembly is removed. A fishing chair may cost $8,000 to $10,000 and is in the class of a piece of fine furniture. It is very undesirable to ruin such an expensive item by boring holes in it. Additionally, the holes allow fresh and salt water to penetrate into the interior of the fishing chair wood, thereby causing deterioration of the chair.
Second, the Arruza device is made of wood, which is easily damaged by the marine environment of hot and cold temperatures and fresh and salt water. As the wood deteriorates, it becomes structurally inferior and can cause the sliding motion of the auxiliary seat assembly to bind or lock up completely.
Third, the sliding system of Arruza includes rails made of metal and guide elements made of nylon. Because the rail and guide materials are different, with different coefficients of thermal expansion, the extremes of heat and cold encountered in the marine environment can cause the rail and guide system to bind or lock up.
Fourth, the device of Arruza lacks an automatic return mechanism to return the top portion of the seat assembly to a retracted position from an extended position. When the seat assembly of Arruza is extended and the fisherman is pulled upward off the seat by a large fish, the seat assembly remains in the extended position. Often when the fisherman is pulling backward on the fish, the fisherman will fall back rather quickly to his starting position onto the seat assembly rather than sliding back with his full body weight on the chair. This is due to the weight and pull of the fish acting thru the counter leverage of the rod assembly holding the fisherman""s weight up off the seat while the fisherman is moving in the backward position. In the Arruza device, if the fisherman has not manually returned the top portion to the retracted position, the fisherman will land with his buttocks on the exposed guide and rail system. The fisherman at a minimum will experience discomfort, and may injure himself, especially after repeated episodes.
Fifth, the top surface of the top portion of the Arruza device is simply a flat wood surface. As discussed above, eight hours or more may elapse before a fish is landed. Sitting on a hard wood surface for such a long period of time is at best uncomfortable and possibly intolerable. The plain wood surface is particularly undesirable if the fish is strong enough to raise the fisherman from the seat so that when the fisherman pulls back on the fish he or she returns to the seat almost in a free-fall style, as previously discussed. These quick transitions from standing to sitting are jarring to the body when the seat surface is hard, such as wood.
A first object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for use with a fishing chair that allows a fisherman to slide back and forth with respect to the seat of the fishing chair.
A second object of the present invention to provide a sliding insert for a fishing chair that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.
A third object of the present invention to provide a sliding insert that can be attached and removed from a fishing chair without damaging the appearance or weather tight integrity of the fishing chair.
A fourth object of the present invention to provide a sliding insert for a fishing chair that can withstand the marine environment.
A fifth object of the present invention to provide a sliding insert for a fishing chair having a bearing assembly that functions well in extremes of hot and cold and when exposed to fresh and/or salt water.
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a sliding insert for a fishing chair that automatically returns from an extended position to a retracted position.
A seventh object of the present invention to provide a sliding insert for a fishing chair that includes a comfortable seating surface.
An eighth object of the present invention is to provide a fishing pole support apparatus configured for connecting a fishing pole to a user for supporting and controlling the fishing pole, the apparatus comprising a waist belt configured to fit around a waist of the user, a pair of first fasteners connected on opposite sides of the waist belt, a pair of leg belts connected to opposite sides of the waist belt, the leg belts each configured to fit around an upper portion of each leg of the user, and a pair of adjustable length second fasteners each connected to a respective the first fasteners, the adjustable length second fasteners configured to be releasably connected to the fishing pole.
A ninth object of the present invention is to provide a fishing pole support apparatus configured for connecting a fishing pole to a user for supporting and controlling the fishing pole, the apparatus comprising a harness device configured to connect with a body portion of the user, a pair of first fasteners connected on opposite sides of the harness device, and a pair of adjustable length second fasteners each connected to a respective the first fasteners, the adjustable length second fasteners configured to be releasably connected to the fishing pole.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a sliding insert for a fishing chair comprising a bottom portion; a top portion; a bearing assembly located between the bottom and top portions such that the top portion is slidable relative to the bottom portion; and a first holding plate located on a rear end of the bottom portion for attaching the bottom portion to the fishing chair by inserting the first holding plate in a backrest support located on a rear of a seat of the fishing chair.
The sliding insert may further comprise a second holding plate located on the rear end of the bottom portion for attaching the bottom portion to the fishing chair by inserting the second holding plate in a backrest support, the second holding plate being located on a side of the bottom portion opposite the first holding plate.
The holding plates may each have a hole formed therein, the sliding insert further comprising a pair of fasteners for fastening each holding plate to its respective backrest support.
Preferably, the sliding insert further comprises a cushion attached to the top portion. The cushion is advantageously made of closed cell foam.
In a preferred embodiment, the top and bottom portions of the sliding insert comprise a plastic material.
Preferably, the sliding insert further comprises a retractor attached to the top and bottom portions for automatically returning the top portion from an extended position to a retracted position.
Another aspect of the invention is, in combination with a fishing chair having a seat including a pair of backrest supports attached to a rear of the seat, a sliding insert comprising a bottom portion; a top portion; a bearing assembly located between the bottom and top portions such that the top portion is slidable relative to the bottom portion; and a first holding plate located on a rear end of the bottom portion for attaching the bottom portion to the fishing chair, the first holding plate being inserted in one of the backrest supports.
The combination may further comprise a second holding plate located on the rear end of the bottom portion for attaching the bottom portion to the fishing chair, the second holding plate being located on a side of the bottom portion opposite the first holding plate and being inserted in the other of the backrest supports.
The present invention is also directed to a fishing pole harness/chair support apparatus configured for connecting a fishing pole to a user/chair for supporting and controlling the fishing pole. Preferably, the fishing pole support apparatus according to the present invention includes a body harness configured to connect with a portion of a user""s body and connecting with the fishing pole so that there exists an actual connection between the user""s body and the fishing pole.
The harness device can have various embodiments including a waist belt or a belt portion connected to a seat portion in different embodiments. In any event, it is preferable that the harness device connects near or adjacent an upper portion of the legs and/or lower portion of the back of the user (e.g. around the waist or seat) to allow a user to use his or her strength and weight in supporting and controlling the fishing pole, especially during large game fishing. This allow a user to maximize his or her strength in fighting a large game fish, and reducing the fatigue of a long battle with a game fish time wise.
Another important feature is that the harness device is connected to the fishing pole, preferably to the reel of the fishing pole, typically provided with eyelets for such a connection. Preferably, adjustable length fasteners (e.g. adjustable length rope or straps) connects the harness device to the fishing pole so that the length of the adjustable length fasteners can be adjusted by the user easily during use and operation.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.